Max Verstappen told to take F1 sabbatical in 2026

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen told to take F1 sabbatical in 2026

Speculation continues to surface over Max Verstappen's future

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 13 May 2025 09:12 Updated: 11:21

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Max Verstappen has been advised to take a year out of Formula 1 in 2026, as speculation over the champion’s future at Red Bull continues to mount.

Whilst the Dutchman’s contract with Red Bull does not expire until 2028, that has not stopped reports from discussing whether Verstappen will make an early exit or not.

Now, the 1996 world champion Damon Hill has weighed in on the conversation on what Verstappen should do next with his career, when asked on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast if he should take some time out to understand the new regulations in 2026.

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"I mean, Red Bull are fighting to retain Max Verstappen, there is a clause in the contract," Hill said. "It’s been explained quite clearly that there’s a performance clause, and if they don’t match the performance clause, and let’s be honest, he’s never delivering less than 100 per cent, if they don’t give him that, then he’s free to go wherever he wants.

"So, Red Bull are under pressure. Where can he go? I don’t know. George is on the verge of signing, they say, with Mercedes again, and then that’s that blocked out. I don’t know.

"I think he could [take a break]. It might be a wise thing to do when you can see which way the wind’s going to blow after these new regulation changes. He’s young, he’s won four world championships, he’s won goodness how many races.

"Nobody knows what’s on the other side of the end of this season. What is going to happen? He could sit back next year and go, okay, I can see which way the future’s going to go for the next 10 years and whatever team is doing well will find the money to pay for having Max."

Could Verstappen take a break from F1 in 2026?

Whilst Verstappen has been linked to switches to teams such as Aston Martin, it is likely the champion will wait to determine the pecking order after the regulation changes in 2026 before leaving Red Bull.

From next year onwards, Red Bull will produce their own power units alongside American manufacturer Ford, with the success of the project remaining a great unknown.

Red Bull’s current pace offers little comfort to Verstappen if he is considering his options in F1, with the champion unable to answer McLaren’s pace yet again in Miami last time out.

The team are already 141 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship after six rounds of the 2025 season, and if Red Bull no longer remains a team that Verstappen can win a championship at, he may revaluate his future.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Formula 1 Damon Hill